Internet Basics II

Class Objectives

1. Some more about bookmarks

2. How to search effectively

3. How to use Wikipedia

4. How to use Google Maps

5. Exploring Randquest

Organizing Bookmarks

If you are on the web a lot, you are going to find pages you want to save--more than

will fit on your Favorites Bar. There are two ways to save and organize bookmarks.

One is using Folders in your browser, the other is using an online bookmark service

like Del.icou.us (Delicious.com) or Digg.com or Google Bookmarks.

So how do you choose?

If you ONLY use one computer for browsing, it is easiest to save bookmarks in In-

ternet Explorer, but they will only be available to you on the computer you use to

save the bookmarks.

If you are using a web-based browser like Google Chrome, you can access your

bookmarks anyplace you can log into Chrome.

If you use multiple computers and can’t always access Chrome, then a web-based

bookmark site like Delicious, Digg or Google Bookmarks is the best choice.

Folders for Favorites in the your browser- Practice

1. Open your browser of choice and navigate to CNN.com

2. Click on the Favorites (Star) icon on the top right.

3. A box will open. Note at the top of the box, you can choose to save this page to

your Favorites OR to your reading list. Be sure Favorites is selected (blue). Also,

you can shorten the name of the web page in the NAME box to get more favorites

on your Favorites Bar. So shorten the name to CNN

4. Save in: Favorites Bar

5. Navigate to abcnews.com

6. Repeat steps 3 and 4, shortening the name to ABC.

7. Now navigate to NBCnews.com. Click the Favorites icon and rename the web page

to NBC. This time, click on the Create new folder link and name the folder News.

Save the folder in the Favorites Bar. Now you have a folder for all your News

sources. Go to your Favorites Bar and drag the other links onto the folder icon and

all your News sources will be in one place. To access them, click on the folder and

the contents will appear as a dropdown menu.

8. To delete a link or to delete a folder, simply right click and then click on Delete.

Searching Basics

1. Start with an appropriate search engine, or try several to see which gives you the

best results.

2. You may want to visit Wikipedia or a print encyclopedia to get an idea of good

search terms (keywords)

3. Drill down--start with a broad search and use Boolean Operators to limit your search

results and get closer to the information you really want

4. Check the dates given on a web page for currency. Do a search for a web site’s

author or organization to check credibility--Don’t believe everything you read on

the web!

5. Do NOT click on pop-ups from sites you are not certain are credible.

6. Download to your desktop (or cut and paste into a Word document) information you

want to print to avoid wasted paper and ink

7. Be wary of sites that have more advertising than hard information

Wikipedia - wikipedia.org

“Wikipedia is a multilingual, web-based, free-content encyclopedia project supported by

the Wikimedia Foundation and based on an openly editable model. . . Wikipedia's arti-

cles provide links designed to guide the user to related pages with additional infor-

mation.

Wikipedia is written collaboratively by largely anonymous Internet volunteers who write

without pay. Anyone with Internet access can write and make changes to Wikipedia arti-

cles, except in limited cases where editing is restricted to prevent disruption or vandal-

ism. Users can contribute anonymously, under a pseudonym, or, if they choose to, with

their real identity.”

Practice

Type in Wikipedia.org. Type in a topic of interest. Use links within the article to find

other articles. Follow footnote links to further information and references.

“Wikipedia is about as good a source of accurate information as Britannica, the venera-

ble standard-bearer of facts about the world around us, according to a study published

this week in the journal Nature.” Daniel Terdiman, CNET News, December 15, 2005.

Wikipedia, like any encyclopedia, is best used as a STARTING point for research, not

the final answer!

Using Google Maps

Google Maps has a new format with many options. We’ll go over the most commonly

used features and let you explore on your own. The older version is similar, but the

commands are in a different location.

Practice 1. Type your home address in the search box.

2. Click on the blue icon for Directions

3. Type 201 Worth Street, Asheboro, NC (the Library’ address) on the new search box

line

4. Click the + sign at the bottom of the search box to add another point on your trip.

Type in The Table, South Church Street , Asheboro, NC

5. Click an icon at the top of the search box to indicate if you are going to walk or drive

6. Drag the destinations around to change the order of your trip. Note if an alternative

route is indicated.

7. Click on “List All Steps” if you want written directions. There is a print icon in the up-

per right hand corner of this page.

Address Search Box

Zoom Level

Library Databases on Randquest.org

“NC LIVE is a consortium of North Carolina libraries, providing digital content and ser-

vices to public and academic libraries statewide. . . NC LIVE offers free electronic

access to resources for all ages on topics ranging from careers, business, and investing,

to auto repair, health, history, and genealogy. NC LIVE resources are available to all

North Carolinians through their local public, community college, or academic library.”

NC LIVE resources are offered to you for FREE with your library card. You can access

them through a special web page created by this library to organize the many NC LIVE

resources and additional resources this library has purchased for your use.

You can access these databases in TWO ways. You can go to the library’s home page

(randolphlibrary.org) and click on the Randquest/Research Databases link or go

directly to randquest.org.

There are a large number of databases available through Randquest. When access-

ing them from home, you will be asked for your library card number so have it handy.

The most frequently used databases are accessed by clicking on the squares in the

center of the page. They are organized by topic in the sidebar on the left. Even more

databases are available by clicking on the NC LIVE icon and going directly to NC

LIVE.